Resilient Entanglement Distribution in a Multihop Quantum Network

• Published in: Journal of lightwave technology Vol. 43; no. 19; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Alshowkan, Muneer, Lukens, Joseph M., Lu, Hsuan-Hao, Peters, Nicholas A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 2025; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Buildings; entanglement; Ethernet; flex-grid; multihop; Nodes; Optical fiber communication; Optical fiber devices; Optical fiber networks; Optical switches; polarization; Quantum entanglement; Quantum networks; Qubits (quantum computing); Rabbits; Reconfiguration; Research facilities; Resilience; Resource management; software-defined networks; Spread spectrum communication
• ISSN: 0733-8724; 1558-2213
• DOI: 10.1109/JLT.2025.3581220

The evolution of quantum networking requires architectures capable of dynamically reconfigurable entanglement distribution to meet diverse user needs and ensure tolerance against transmission disruptions. We introduce multihop quantum networks to improve network reach and resilience by enabling quantum communications across intermediate nodes, thus broadening network connectivity and increasing scalability. We present multihop two-qubit polarization-entanglement distribution within a quantum network at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory campus. Our system uses wavelength-selective switches for adaptive bandwidth management on a software-defined quantum network that integrates a quantum data plane with classical data and control planes, creating a flexible, reconfigurable mesh. Our network distributes entanglement across six nodes within three subnetworks, each located in a separate building, optimizing quantum state fidelity and transmission rate through adaptive resource management. Additionally, we demonstrate the network's resilience by implementing a link recovery approach that monitors and reroutes quantum resources to maintain service continuity despite link failures- paving the way for scalable and reliable quantum networking infrastructures.